The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-14

Text: "Oh, that one would gire n,s drink
Of the 1pater of the ,ueu of Bethlehem, rhici
6 by the gatep'-2 Samuel, xiii, Is.
War, always distressing, is especially ruin
Gus in harvest time. When the crops are ali
ready for the sickle, to have them trodden
down by cavalry horses and neavy supply
trains Outlying the fields, is enough to make
any mans heart sick. When the last great
war broke out in Europe, and France and
Germany were coming into horrid collision:
rode across their golden harvestS, and saw the
tents pitched, and the trenches dug in tho
very midst of the ripe fields, the long
down harvests of men in great
winrows of the dead. 1t was at this season
Of harvest that the army of the Philistin"s
came down upon Bethlehem Hark to the
clamor Of their voices, the neighing Of their
chargers, the blare of their trumpctS, and the
clash Of their shields.
Let David and his men fall back! The
Lords host sometimes loses the day.
But David knew where to hile. He
had been brought up in that country.
Boys areinquisitive, and they know all about
theregion where they were born and brought
up. If you should 60 back to the old home:
stead, you could, with your eyes shut, find
your way to the meadow, or the orchard, or
the hill back Of the house, with which you
were familiar thirty or forty years ago: So
David knew the cave Of Adullam. Perhaps,
and-seek" with his comrades all about
the old cave; and though others
might not have known it, David did.
Travellers say there is only one way OF get
ting into that cave and that is by very
narrow path; but David was stout, and
-steady-headed, and steady nerved; and So
with his three brave staff officers, he goes
along that path, finds his way into the cave,
sits down, looks around the roof and the
dark passages Of the mountain, feels very
weary with the forced march; and water he
must have, or die. do not know but there
may have been drops trickling down the side
of the cavern, or that there may
have been some water in the
goat skin slung to his girdle; but
that was not what he wanted. He wanted a
deep, full, cold drink. such as man gets
only out Of an old we'll with moss-covered
bucket. David remembered that very near
that cave of Adullam there was such we'll
as that, a well to which he used to 60 in
boyhood-the we'll Of Bethlehem; and he al
most imagines that he can hear the liquid
plash Of that we'll, and his parched tongue
moves through his hot lips as he says: "Oh,
that one would give me drink of the water OF
the well Of Bethlehem. which is by the gate!'
It was no sooner said than done. The three
start. Brave soldiers will take even hint
from their commander. But between them
and the well lay host Of the PhilistineS: and
what could three men do with great armys
Yet where there is a will there is way, and,
with their swords s,ashing this way and that,
they make their path to the well. While the
Philistines are amazed at the seeming fool
hardness Of these three men, and cannot
make up their minds exactly what it means,
4 4l,AN h~y- RI
They drop the buckets They bring
up the water. They pour it in the
pail, and then start for the cave. "Stop
themm cry tho Philistines. clip them with
your swords! Stab them with your spears!
Stop those three men!" Too late! They are
gone around the hill The hot rocks are
splashed with the overHowing water from
the vessel at it is carried up the cliffs. The
three men 60 along the dangerous path, and
all out of breath in their haste they fling their
swords, red with the skirmish, to the side of
the cave, and cry out to David: "There,
Captain Of the host, is what you wanted: a
drink of the we'll Of Bethlehem, which is by
the gate"
A nAt is Of no use to me unless can find
Christ in it; and unless can bring Gospel
out Of these words, that will arouse and COM
fort and bless, I shall wish had never seen
them; for your time would be wasted, and
against my soul the dark record would be
dience of SHINING, suffering, and dying mon.
and told them of no rescue. By the cross Of
the Son of God, by the throne Of the eternal
Judgment, that shall not bel May the Lord
Jesus help me to tell you the truth to-day!
You know that carrier pigeons have some
times letters tied under the wing. and they
fly hundreds Of milestone hundred miles in
c. L.,
thought I would like to have it now. Oh,
heavenly Dove bring under thy wing
to-day, to my soul and to the souls of this
people, some message of light, and love, and
peacel
It IS not an unusual thing to see people
gather around we'll in summertime. The
husbandman puts down his cradle at the well
curb. The builder puts down his trowel The
traveller puts down h pack Then one draws
very last. The cup is passed around, and
the fires of thirst are put out; the traveller
starts on his journey and the workman takes
up his burden.
Ny friends, we come to-day around the
Gospel well. We put down our pack of bur-
dens and our implements Of toll. One man
must draw the water for those who have
gathered around the we'll. I will try and
draw the water today: and il. after have
poured out from this living fountain for your
soul, ! just taste of it myself, you will not be-
grudge me a drink from the water Of the
well OF Bethlehem, which is by the gate"
This Gospel well, like the we'll spoken Of in
the text, is we'll Of Bethlehem. David had
known hundreds of wells Of water, but he
wanted to drink from that particular one,
and he thought nothing could slake his thirst
like that. And unless your soul and mine can
get access to the Fountain open for sin and
uncleanness We must die. That fountain is
the well Of Bethlehem. 1t was dug in the
the star that hung down over the
manger It was dug not at the gate of
Cesar's palaces, not in the park Of Jeru-
salem bargain maker. 1t was dug in barn.
The camels lifted their weary heads to listen
as the work went on. The shepherds, unable
to sleep, because the heavens were filled with
bands OF music, came down to see the open
ing Of the well. The angels of God, at the first
gush OF the living water, dipped their chalices
Of joy into it, and drank to the health OF
earth and heaven, as they cried: GLORY tO
God in the highest, and on earth peace.
Sometimes in our modern barns the water is
brought through the pipes of the city to the
very nostrils of the horses or cattle; but thi'
we'll in the Bethlehem barn was not so much
for the teasts that perish as for our race
thirstsmittten, deserttraveled and s'moon
SIrucR On, my soul, weary Win siu, Seool
down and drink to day out Of that Bethlehem
we'll!
"As the heart panteth after tue water
brooks, so my soul panteth after thee, {
God" You would get letter understand
ing Of this amidst the Adirondacks i'll sum
mer-time. Here comes q swift-footed deer
The hounds are close on the track; it ha!
leaped chasms and sealed cliffs; it is fagset
ont: its eyes are rolling in death
Its tongue Is loliing from its foaming
mouth. Faster the deer, faster the dogs,
until it plunges into Schroon Lake and the
hounds can follow it no farther, and it puts
down its head and mouth until the nostril is
clean submerged In the cool wave, and un